Hellcat Spectacularly Pushes its Power to the Max: Classic Clips

While most would be satisfied with a stock Challenger Hellcat’s 707 horsepower, for others, it’s just the beginning. Adding even more power to the mighty 6.2-liter V8 isn’t a terribly difficult task in itself. But as with any car, adding power without beefing up the rest of the drivetrain can result in catastrophic failure.

We don’t have a ton of information on this particular tuned Hellcat from YouTuber BigKleib34, but it produces a claimed 1,000 horsepower. Whether that comes with or without a shot of nitrous is unclear. Also unknown is what sort of other mods, if any, the car has aside from that boost in power and some drag slicks.

But we’ll go out on a limb here and take a guess at what this Hellcat doesn’t have. And that would include a set of beefier than stock axles. Because after lining up to make a pass down the drag strip, Mr. Hellcat almost immediately snaps an axle upon launch.

Said driver handles the scary situation quite well, however. Despite the car’s best efforts to send him careening into the guardrail, he manages to keep things in line. All in all, a rather melodramatic result that could have been a whole lot worse. Especially if it happened at speed.

So let this be a lesson to you Hellcat owners out there looking to squeeze four figure horsepower out of your rides. If you intend to lay down some time at the local drags (and why wouldn’t you?), be sure and take a look at some drivetrain upgrades. Because broken parts, like broken dreams, are nobody’s idea of fun.

Brett Foote has been covering the auto industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ popular sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other sites.

He's been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles and every other type of automobile, Foote had spent several years running parts for local dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.